This iconic model has always been designed with the needs of pilots in mind, featuring a slide-rule bezel for quick and accurate calculations during flight.
Quirky backstory. Quirky backstory. Quirky backstory. Quirky backstory. Quirky backstory
Breitling Navitimer From The 1980s. Breitling Navitimer From The 1980s. Breitling Navitimer From The 1980s. Breitling Navitimer From The 1980s
20 October 2025
The Quirky Backstory Of The Breitling Navitimer From The 1980s
The Breitling Navitimer is more than just a watch — it’s a symbol of aviation history and innovation.
In fact, the Navitimer has been one of pilots’ favourite watches since its launch in 1952.
But here, let’s focus on a funkier, lesser-known version of the Navitimer, which appeared in the early 1980s.
Breitling took advantage of the brand-new quartz technology of the time to market some original proposals. These Navitimers combined digital and analogue displays, a chronograph function, a slide-rule bezel, a compass, and sometimes even a GMT function.
The digital display not only showed the seconds precisely, but also a second time zone, a chronograph, and the date.
A notable version of the Navitimer 2300 Jupiter is the model made for the Iranian Air Force, which featured a signature in Farsi reading “airforce.” This version of the Navitimer was used by Iranian pilots during the war against Iraq in the 1980s.
The 2100 Pluton is another example of this unusual Navitimer family. This watch has a crown protector and a more robust case. Harrison Ford has even been seen wearing one in black PVD. Whether you’re a pilot, an aviation enthusiast, or simply a lover of a well-designed timepiece, the 1980s Breitling Navitimer offers a perfect blend of form and function — and remains one of the last true tool watches.